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Abstract The literature on uroflowmetry in women is presented and evaluated. Uroflowmeters are described and found generally sufficiently accurate, although the errors arising from electronic evaluation may invalidate the test. Six flow curve patterns are proposed in accordance with described pathological conditions. From the literature it is summarized that the normal Qmax is 20–36 ml/s. Qmax is linearly correlated to the voided volume, increasing by 5.6 ml/s/100 ml. Pregnancy, age and menstrual cycle do not influence Qmax. Several pathological conditions have been associated with specific flow curve patterns. These conditions are described and associations with the proposed flow definitions made.

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Summary A new surgical procedure is presented in which a levator ani muscle repair is performed via an abdominal approach. The method is discussed in light of the traditional techniques. The preliminary results in 50 patients treated by this method are presented. Clinical and objective cure was found to a high extent.

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Summary A total of 70 women with stress urinary incontinence were randomly allocated to either colposuspension or transperitoneal levator ani repair. Preoperatively, 92% of the patients had anterior suspension defects on colpocystourethrography. At follow-up after $$2{\raise0.5ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 1$}\kern-0.1em/\kern-0.15em\lower0.25ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 2$}}$$ years the subjective results of the operation, urinary flow rate, cystometry, colpocystourethrography and operative complications were evaluated. In the colposuspended group, 81% of the patients were continent or had improved continence versus 50% in the levator ani repair group. Both operations carried some operative complications. It was concluded that colposuspension was superior to the levator ani repair for operative correction of anterior suspension defects in stress incontinent women.

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Summary Islets of Langerhans were isolated from four human kidney donors, aged 16 to 21 years, by the collagenase method described for isolation of rodent islets. So far the human islets have been kept in tissue culture, without attachment, in medium RPMI 1640 supplemented with 10% calf serum for more than 9 months, with preservation of the ability to release insulin in response to glucose stimulation. Replacement of calf serum with serum from normal human subjects did not affect B-cell survival, but resulted in elevated insulin values partly due to lower insulin degrading activity. Thus the described technique presents a valuable tool for studying chronic effects of metabolites and hormones on islet function, as well as for islet storage prior to transplantation into humans.

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Summary The study was designed to show whether there was any relation between muscle capillary basement membrane thickness, HLA-antigens, antiinsulin antibodies and proliferative retinopathy. Electron microscopic measurements of muscle capillary basement membrane thickness were performed on muscle biopsies from 15 insulin-dependent diabetics with severe proliferative retinopathy, 24 insulindependent diabetics with minimal retinopathy and 18 age-and sex matched non-diabetics. All the patients had had diabetes for 20 years or more. None had biochemical or clinical evidence of diabetic nephropathy. Basement membrane thickness was measured according to the methods of Siperstein and Williamson. Muscle capillary basement membrane thickening occurred in 32 of 39 diabetics, using the Siperstein method, but patients with proliferative retinopathy did not exhibit thicker basement membranes than patients with no or minimal changes in the retina. There were apparrent differences in HLA-antigens between diabetics with and without proliferative retinopathy, but they did not reach statistical significance. There was no correlation between muscle capillary basement membrane thickness and the quantity of insulin antibodies. The results indicate that factors other than basement membrane thickening and genetic factors in the HLA-region, are responsible for the development of proliferative retinopathy.